Bedford Blues and BBQ -- Bedford, TX

[Schmokin Party]

Taking care final details for our first KCBS competition. Took care of shopping, sauces and injections today, and will be cleaning up the smokers tomorrow. Off to Richmond VA for a business trip through Thursday and then load in on Friday morning. Good thing this is in my back yard.

[BYBBQ]

Good luck.

[Uncanney]

[tomshoots]

Go show 'em how it's done!!

[californiasmokin]

We know how busy you will be but any pictures would be appreciated.

Good luck!We'll be rooting for you!

[Schmokin Party]

It was a hot weekend in Bedford. I had originally planned to do the People's Choice event, however, we didn't get put on list and our space was up in a shaded area. I quickly realized the benefit of that change. I was using my immediate family to help with this cook and for first timer's I thought they did great. We took the time on Saturday to do our injections and enjoy some music at the festival. We use the Okie's products and we really like them. I know they like for you to do the People's Choice, however, looking back, it was good that it turned out that way. We grilled some steaks and filled the fireboxes up to expedite our start on Sunday morning.

We got up early yesterday and fired up the smokers, eager with anticipation at 3:30 AM. Set up the GURU's and woke my oldest son up at 4 AM, started a chimney and got the units up and running. The older unit, an Extended Party got up the temperature and held rock steady the entire day. We cooked chicken and brisket in that rig. The newer unit, a G2 Party had a much more difficult time holding temperature. We cooked ribs and pork in the G2. Initially, the temperature went high and then it dropped. We finally got the unit to hold temperature, but had to open the vent.

Brisket and butts went on at around 5:15 AM and we started prepping ribs. Those went on at 7. We started prepping chicken at 8:30 and put it in the smoker at 9:30. The chicken cook went well, scores were not good but I think that it had more to do with the chicken that I picked to use for the cook than technique. The cook in the Extended party was going great. Not so much for the G2. I wasn't able to get my butt temperatures up, and in the process of varying the temperatures to get that accomplished, I over cooked the ribs.
I ended up with fall off the bone ribs for KCBS, although the flavor was good, and a butt that I had to pull at the last minute a good way from where I wanted it temperature wise and put that in the box. It wasn't what I wanted to do, but it was my only choice. Bottom line, I got beat up pretty bad by the judges on that entry, but the even with all of those issues, I didn't finish last. Makes me kind of wonder what those entries beneath me looked and tasted like.

My wife did our boxes, and it was her first time doing that. I thought she did a good job.

The best thing we cooked was the brisket. We started off with a Restaurant Depot Angus brisket, and used the Okie's Deep Beef injection and rubbed it with Old #2 rub. It was done on schedule and we got a good rest on it. It had a large point on it, so we had lots of good meat to do burnt ends. It sliced up nice and had the right tug on it. We were very happy with this product. It was the only box that I felt really good about when we closed the box and my son took off for turn it.

So here are our results, 56th out of 89 teams overall. 60th in Chicken, 66th in ribs, 79th in pork, and 13th in brisket. Butchers BBQ took Grand Champion.

We are chalking this one up to a "learning experience" and there are a lot of things that we have to work on for the next one. I will post pictures of the turn in boxes later.

[PigCicles]

Sounds like a fantastic time! Maybe not first but sure weren't worst. Great job on gettin out there and getting it all in

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[californiasmokin]

Thanks for sharing your results.Hope you had a good time!

Did you meet any other folks that were competing?

[Schmokin Party]

Here are the pictures from our turn in boxes. If you have pointers, I am all ears......












We met several of the competitors. We were next to Smoke30BBQ. Also met the guy from XXL Baskets (Jeff), his team is Give it to God and sat next to Kosmo at the cooks meeting. Kosmo and his team had really nice things to say about the Okie. Diva Q was there, but I didn't go by her space as she was down amongst the People's Choice contestants.

Hope you enjoy the pictures.